The Psychic Child
by TheConsortium2
Summary: Sabrina's son finally becomes old enough to inherit the Gym. But there's one small problem... he's immature. Sabrina, being the loving mother she is, sends him on a Pokémon journey so he can 'build character.' Sound familiar?
1. Prologue

"Look, Mom, I won't do it again. Okay?"

A boy stood before his angry mother, giving an apologetic expression that was mixed with the complacent emotion in his eyes. His hair was like hers; black in color and slightly wavy. Draped over his body was a dark jacket with a hood that he used regularly, complemented by his dark blue eyes. The teen held up his hands cautiously, as if attempting to calm his angered parent. She had one hand on the table in the dining room, where each day they ate alone. From the look in her eyes he could almost assume she meant to kill him.

Sabrina sighed loudly, "I predicted you would say that."

"Of course you did," the teenager defiantly groaned, rolling his eyes at the comment.

He had done it again. Her son had gone into the Gym when she wasn't looking, taken a badge, and had arrogantly pretended to be leader. The spirit channelers had been bossed around, the girls were forced to tend to him, and everyone was told to have their Pokémon fight each other, all for his amusement.

And this wasn't the first time.

"You're just too spoiled," the Gym Leader calmly admonished. "Edward, you need to _grow up_."

The fourteen year-old boy scoffed, turning his back to his mother. He stared at a cup on the dining room table and, using his mind, slowing lifted it into the air with the motion of his hand. It twirled idly until Sabrina roughly slammed it back down, not even having to lift a finger.

Edward looked away.

"Quit acting like a child," she snapped, the tone of her voice suddenly ringing with anger. "Just look at what you do! You flirt with every girl at trainer school, you scare wild Pokémon, I mean, just look at what you're teaching Abra!"

The boy glared. "Abra is _mine_. You gave him to me. I haven't done anything bad to him. You're just mad because he hasn't evolved yet."

Sabrina crossed her arms, firmly digging her hands into her sides. "I don't care if you evolve him into an Alakazam! It's what you teach him that matters."

"He's my best friend. Why would I do anything that would hurt him?"

The mother sighed. She knew what the real problem was; he wanted to be Gym Leader. But he wasn't ready. Not with the way he acted, he wasn't ready for the responsibility.

Sabrina opened her mouth to speak, but then an image appeared to her. The psychic's eyes widened slowly as she gazed at the world with her sixth sense. All light in the room seemed to dim for a moment as images flashed before her mind in a fractured second. Then the lights glowed bright again, her eyes returned to normal, and the vision was over.

The teenager pretended not to care.

But then his mother smirked cleverly.

"Oh, I know," she said in a well prepared tone. "I have the perfect idea."

"W-what?" Edward could not help but ask.

"You're going on a journey. A _long_ journey."


	2. A Disappointing Start

**Disclaimer: Pokémon and characters pertaining to the series are Copyright Nintendo.**

**Hello, and welcome to the new fic. This is probably the only author's note I'm going to leave on this story to spare you from my ranting. Anyway, I wrote this because I needed to write **_**something**_** that was more interesting than the last story I wrote for Pokémon. Anyway, here it is. **

**Read and enjoy. **

* * *

Viridian City was a well-sustained, environmentally friendly metropolis. Pidgey chirped peacefully from rooftops during the day as Meowth roamed the streets by night. Trees and parks helped keep balance between the urban and rural elements of the city. The Gym, by far, was the largest building there, and probably the most well-known. That was where she left him.

Edward stood in front of the Gym, looking up at the massive dome-shaped roof. His mother had teleported him here the day after their argument so he could 'learn to be a real trainer.' He was given a backpack, a change of clothes, and sleeping bag. He had a small supply of food, fifty dollars, and a trainer card.

'_This is a total waste of time,'_ the psychic thought as he listened to techno music on his CD Player. _''Go become a real trainer', what a joke.'_

But even then, the words his mother had last said to him burned inside his mind: _'If you can beat me once you get to Saffron, the Gym is yours.'_ And Edward wanted to lead the Gym. It was his dream.

His only Pokémon, Abra, sat on his shoulders, listening to the music from the other earpiece. Sabrina had given him Abra when he turned ten, and even after four years of partial training he still hadn't evolved. But he could do anything Edward could, and more. His telekinetic abilities weren't strong enough to form actual attacks like confusion, but he could fight well enough. But… Viridian City Gym was supposed to be the most difficult of all the Gyms.

'_I can't wait until this is over,' _he grumbled, returning his Pokémon before walking in.

The instant he stepped through those doors, he could hear the sound of battling. Pokémon like Rhydon and Sandslash trained vigorously with their masters. A Machoke was beating a punching bag mercilessly, tearing it to shreds with powerful kicks and punches. Two Tauros rammed into each other, their horns locking as each aggressively tried to force the other into submission. Just the sight of such strong Pokémon easily intimidated Edward.

Sabrina's son just stood in the doorway, too nervous to even reach for the pokéball in his pocket.

'_There's no way I can manage to get to the leader. These guys could easily get to me first.'_

He was about to turn around when someone spoke.

"Hey, kid. What are you doing here?"

A tall, muscular man wearing boxing gloves walked over to the boy. A Primape stalked behind him; he must have been boxing with it.

The man spoke, "Do you need some help?"

Edward spoke quietly, "I... I don't want any help."

"Really? You aren't lost or anything?"

'_What does he think I am, a five year old?'_

"I want to..." He paused, wondering why he was so nervous. "I-I want to challenge the Gym Leader."

The Primape trainer laughed heartily. "Why didn't you just say so? I'll be your first opponent, just to loosen you up."

Reluctantly, Edward reached into his pocket and retrieved the only pokéball he had in his possession. The spherical capsule was tossed onto the floor, summoning his Abra in a bright flash of light. The creature's tail happily swung back and forth in anticipation of a fight.

The man's cheery expression slowly grew stern. Even the Primape seemed disappointed.

He folded his arms across his chest. "Is this your only Pokémon?"

Edward nervously nodded.

"You might want to reconsider challenging us first," the man advised.

'_That's what I told Mom,' _Edward thought miserably.

The trainer continued talking, "Your Pokémon would lose in a battle against any one of ours here. And that is absolutely nothing compared to what Leader Blue's Pokémon are capable of. Why don't you go to Pewter City and challenge the Gym there first?"

With that, the psychic boy turned around and went back through the doors. He left the Gym behind as he quickly walked, then ran, until the building was out of sight. His legs moved as he fled across the pavement, trying to forget the disappointing words that had been so truly spoken. Without even stopping at the Pokémart, he ran until he was at the edge of Viridian Forest.

Taking a deep breath of the cool air, Edward let his aching muscles relax. Slowly, the realization of why he was there in the first place came back to him. Wide branches loomed over his head as he stared into the darkness of the forest of Viridian.

'_I have to go in there? But there are bugs in there!' _he thought with a small cringe.

Edward hated bug Pokémon. To him they were extremely creepy and disturbing. He didn't like the way they crawled around and bit people. But it didn't look like he had much of a choice.

Collecting his courage, Edward walked into the forest, cursing his luck for having to undertake this journey at all.

'_This should be easy. It'll probably take me… an hour to get to Pewter. Maybe less.'_

Not much later, he became lost. And that, was the least of his problems.

Someone was following him.

* * *

**Yeah, I know. It was a bit short. Longer chapters will be promised in the future. **

_**More to come later.**_


	3. The Road to Pewter

The boy opened his eyes, expecting to see the white ceiling of his room with the sun shining in from the window. Instead, he say a blue sky above. It was then that he remembered where he was, and more importantly, why. He moved uncomfortably in his sleeping bag.

'_Oh, yeah. I must have forgot. Let's see... I got lost… then slept here. I had better find my way out of this place and get to Pewter.'_

He could feel the weight of a small Pokémon resting on his stomach. Abra must have fallen asleep on him.

"Abra, it's time to get-" Edward stopped in mid-speech.

Laying on top of him was a small Weedle, breathing softly in its sleep. But to Edward it was a _bug _Pokémon.

The psychic let out a scream before jumping up and kicking the frightened creature away. It scampered off into the foliage, fearing for its life. Edward brushed himself off, hoping that nothing had managed to get into his sleeping bag. By now he was used to the presence of so many insects in the forest, but never _that_ close.

'_I can't believe people actually catch those things. They're useless.'_

With an heavy sigh, the young trainer sent out his best friend. Abra appeared on the ground, happy to be let out of the pokéball. The psi Pokémon teleported next to him as he folded up the sleeping bag. Abra then proceeded to brush his tail against the trainer.

"I know, I know." The boy reached into his bag and pulled out an apple, which he handed to his partner.

The Pokémon munched on the fruit as Edward put on his jacket, considering whether or not he should wear his hood during daylight. Whenever he was home, his mother would always tell him to take it off. He never listened.

After some time, the two found the road that led to Pewter, managing to avoid any bug-catchers who decided to get an early morning start on their Pokémon catching. Once they reached the edge of the forest, Edward checked his watch.

'_Man, I'm way behind schedule. I should have been past Pewter and near Mount Moon by now. Serves me right for forgetting the map...'_

Abra's ears twitched suddenly, and the Pokémon turned around. Edward sensed something too. With the Pokémon's help, he could faintly make out the presence of someone just off the path. Then they saw him.

Ducking down behind a bush was a man wearing a black uniform. On his head was a cap which barely covered his eyes. His hands and feet were covered in latex gloves and boots, and around his waist was a belt to which two pokéballs were attached. But the most distinguishing thing about him was the large red R over his torso.

All Edward could think was, _'Team Rocket.'_

The man realized that he had been noticed and stepped onto the path. He growled in an irritated manner.

"Darn it," he cursed. "How did you even see me? No matter, I'll just deal with you now."

Edward's voice was somewhat hoarse. "Deal with me? Wha- why?"

The man didn't answer him. Instead, he took one of the pokéballs on his belt and threw it to the ground. Pale yellow smoke spiraled outward from a purple gas Pokémon, which Edward immediately recognized as a Koffing. The creature laughed, puffing out more gas as it did so.

The boy hoped he didn't look as nervous as he felt. True, Koffing had only one weakness, and it just so happened that it was the psychic type. However, Abra's attacks weren't very powerful; his best attack couldn't measure up to a confusion. If he wanted, they could easily teleport away, but Edward felt that he _needed _to know what this grunt wanted with him.

"Okay, Abra," the trainer verbally said, wishing he had paid more attention when his mother had taught him telepathy. "Use, um... a psychic attack."

The grunt laughed. "Koffing, use smog, and make it quick!"

As Abra held up his palms to charge his psychic power, the violet gas creature puffed up, emitting a noxious cloud of pollution. Before it was able to release the entire attack, it was struck in the face by a telekinetic force. It's smiling face quickly turned to a frown, having already grown tired. It was surprisingly weak for such a thuggish creature.

Its trainer seemed mad at it for being at a disadvantage.

"You stupid Pokémon! If you're not going to be useful then just self-destruct!"

The Koffing reluctantly complied; the pores on its body stopped releasing gas, causing it to inflate as chemicals built up from inside of it.

Edward reacted with a mix of panic and surprise. "Abra! Get out of the way!"

Before the Pokémon could react, its opponent exploded, filling the area with a thick cloud of smoke. The psychic coughed, burying his face in his sleeve so he could breathe easier.

The wind quickly cleared the air, allowing the two trainers to see the aftermath. The Koffing lay on the ground, knocked out. Abra, however, sat a safe distance away, having managed to teleport from the blast in time.

The grunt growled, returning the defeated Pokémon. He took a second pokéball from his belt.

"You might have been lucky enough to survive against my Koffing, but you're doomed against Weezing!"

He raised his hand into the air, ready to throw the ball onto the road. But he stopped there, having noticed something in the distance. Without another word, he put the ball back onto his belt and retreated to the forest.

Edward looked behind him, noticing a police motorcycle speeding toward him. It braked to a halt right next to him as the driver removed her helmet. It was one of the Jennies.

"Where did he go?" she asked, having noticed the explosion. The trainer pointed to where the man had run.

The police woman nodded, putting her helmet back on and taking off again.

_'At least she didn't have much to say. That would have made this experience even worse.'_

He watched as the vehicle disappeared in a cloud of dust.

_'I wonder… why are there no male police officers?'_ Shrugging off the thought, the trainer returning his Pokémon to its miniature home. _'And that thug… what was he talking about?'_

Team Rocket was dead, there was no doubt about that. They had been finished twice; their final downfall had been five years ago. All that remained of them were a few petty thieves who robbed Pokémarts 'In the name of Team Rocket.' Most of them didn't even have the full uniform, just the cap or shirt. But that grunt... he had everything.

Who was that guy?

Edward smacked his forehead, suddenly remembering his mentalist abilities. _'I should have tried to read his mind! How stupid can I get? Well, I'll get him next time. If he doesn't get me first…'_

Returning to his journey, the boy followed the path to Pewter City, not even bothering to visit Diglett's Cave on the way.


	4. The First Gym

The City of Pewter was small in comparison to Saffron. Mountain ridges surrounded the city from the north, and the forest covered the landscape to the south. The Fossil Museum was the largest building around. Bones of extinct and extremely rare Pokémon were brought in almost every day. The fossils were cleaned, categorized, and sometimes even put on exhibit.

There was no way Edward was going to in there.

'_Way too boring,'_ he declared, rolling his eyes at a couple entering the museum. _'It's just a bunch of dead stuff. Who would ever pay to see that?'_

He walked toward the Pokémon Gym, knowing that he wound need to go faster if he was to get past Mount Moon by nightfall. Good thing the city of Pewter had added a new pass recently. That would make things easier.

'_Hmm… maybe I should practice reading minds. Might prove useful against the Gym Leader.'_

He set his gaze on an old lady sitting on a park bench, deciding she would be the first target. Shutting his eyes, Edward focused his mind to her location, trying to pick up any of the signals she was producing.

Finally, he heard her thoughts.

'_I wonder if Margret was right. Could the famous Red have appeared in Kanto somewhere? He was supposed to have been by the Seafoam Islands last. But… he hasn't been seen since… since he beat the Elite Four. And that was years ago.'_

Edward stopped, having grown bored already. Someone had to be thinking something more interesting than that. It was just some kid named Red. What was the big deal?

The psychic dug his hands into his pockets and continued on his way. He probed the mind of everyone else he met, but there was nothing remarkable.

'_I'll bet that the people in Saffron are thinking way more interesting thoughts than the people here.'_

Edward opened the Gym door, hoping that he wouldn't be told to challenge some other Gym instead. He didn't want that to happen again.

Instead, he saw a maze of rock cliffs and boulders. A ladder to the right led up to a large pillar, which was connected to the cliffs by wood bridges suspended by rope. At ground-level were giant rocks that Edward could only guess he had to navigate around. The entire Gym was a giant playground for rock type Pokémon and their trainers.

'_Great. It'll take me forever to get to the Leader. But… I guess I have no choice.'_

Deciding to climb up the ladder, Edward placed his foot on the first rung, and slowly went up. Before he reached the top, he could sense someone standing on the ledge. He stayed where he was, not wanting to be caught by the trainer who was obviously waiting to catch an unsuspecting challenger. 

Eventually, the presence faded, and Edward finished climbing. He saw a mountaineer on a cliff further ahead; no doubt the same person who had been standing above him. Grimacing, the young trainer crossed the bridge to his left, somewhat unnerved by how unstable it was.

Without looking down, Edward reached the next cliff, barely avoiding the hiker's gaze. Everyone knew the rules: if you were seen, you had to battle. It had always been that way, and probably always would be. As he crossed the next bridge, the trainer looked down on the rocky maze below, seeing a camper talking to his Geodude. How many trainers were in this place?

Finally, Edward reached the last cliff, seeing a huge arena below him. It was a flat area with rocks spread evenly across it. Standing in the center was the Gym Leader, Brock. It was clear he was the serious type. His arms were firmly crossed, stance firm, and eyes… closed? It was difficult to tell.

Climbing down the ladder, the boy watched as Brock stood there like a statue. Deciding this would be a good time to anticipate his opponent's Pokémon selection, Edward read Brock's mind. It was quite different from what he expected.

'_To think, I'm thirty-two years old… and I still don't have a girlfriend.'_

The young psychic quirked his brow at this, but decided not to ponder on it.

"…Hello?" Edward asked, wondering if Brock could even see him. "I'm here to make a Gym challenge."

The Gym Leader nodded. "Fine. Under what terms?"

"Um… excuse me?"

Brock -somehow- stared at him. "Terms. You know, doubles, singles, one-on-one. Do you need me to explain it?"

The trainer tried to hide his embarrassment. "Oh… um, one-on-one?"

"I accept your challenge."

They each walked to opposite ends of the arena, which gave Edward time to read Brock's mind. Sending out his only Pokémon, the psychic was starting to wonder if challenging Brock was suicide. Brock seemed hesitant as he held a pokéball in his hand.

'_Is that... an Abra? I haven't seen one of those in a while.'_

The rock trainer put the pokéball back into his pocket in exchange for another one.

'_Onix is far too strong. I should use Graveler instead.'_

He threw the capsule onto the battle field, summoning a boulder-like creature with four arms. It roared loudly, grinning with gusto as it pounded the floor.

Brock nodded, and thought, _'The easiest way to finish this would an earthquake, but that might be too powerful. Rock slide should do it.'_

'_I knew this was suicide,' _Edward thought at the mention of such powerful moves. _'I guess I'll just have to go with it.' _

"Graveler, use rock slide!" the Gym Leader commanded.

Edward struggled for a command as the boulder Pokémon begun flinging stones. "Abra, use... um... teleport!"

As a rock hurtled toward him, Abra teleported away, only to reappear where another projectile was aimed. He dodged again, much to the astonishment of his trainer.

Brock frowned. _'There's no way he can last against this.' _"Defense curl, Graveler!"

The rock creature held its arms tightly against its body, compacting into a ball.

"Good. Now use rollout!"

The Graveler tumbled forward, gaining more speed with every revolution as it dashed toward the psychic Pokémon.

"Abra, don't let him hit you!" Edward warned.

As his foe came closer, the humanoid psychic vanished, reappearing a safe distance away.

"Good job, Abra!"

"Don't celebrate just yet. Rollout isn't over," Brock informed as his Pokémon spun around, charging once more toward his opponent, this time with much greater speed.

Edward watched as Abra teleported again, the Graveler turning around in mid-rollout to pursue its target.

'_It just keeps increasing power. How are we going to beat it when Abra can't attack? Wait... what if...'_

The rock Pokémon was moving quickly now, plowing deep tracks of dirt in its wake as it pursued Abra.

"Abra, back away to the wall!" Edward ordered.

"Don't give up! You can do it Graveler!" the Gym Leader said, watching as his Pokémon veered around, speeding forward with greater speed than ever.

'_Just one more second...' _

"Teleport!" the trainer cried.

Abra disappeared, vanishing from sight as his opponent charged towards the wall, unable to stop. The Pokémon contacted with the wall with a loud _crash!_

The sound echoed through the Gym, prompting many of the trainers there to come and see what the noise was. Brock's Graveler rolled backwards, groaning in pain before going unconscious.

Brock returned his Pokémon before looking at Edward.

"Very well, the Boulder Badge is yours," Brock said, handing over a small emblem in the shape of a gemstone. It shone brightly.

"Thanks," the psychic said, already imagining himself accepting the Marsh Badge from his mother.

"I intend on getting a rematch some day," the Gym Leader told him. "That way we can have a _real _fight."

"Oh... um, sure," Edward agreed.

He turned around and walked back to the entrance.

'_I hope I never have to come back to this place again.'_

Leaving the Gym, Edward decided that he would need at least one more Pokémon to help him on his journey. His mind made up, he went to Pewter's Pokémart and bought some pokéballs, spending half of the money he had in the process.

Upon leaving he discovered that he hadn't left the map behind, and that it was merely at the bottom of his backpack. It took him a while to figure how he should get to Cerulean; after a few minutes of studying the map, it seemed that Mount Moon would be the best option.

'_It's a good thing that the pass is open,' _he thought as he trekked over the gravel path on the way to the mountain. _'I think I'm almost there... what?'_

On the mountainside were work crews and people wearing construction helmets and orange safety suits. Several large boulders rested next to the cliff, directly in the way of the pass. Edward tapped a workman on the shoulder.

"Excuse me, what's going on here?"

The man turned around. He was unshaven and his breath smelled rancid. "There's been a rockslide of some sort. Probably caused by a Pokémon, but we're not sure."

Edward looked nervously at the large rocks.

"How... how am I supposed to get to Cerulean? I mean, is there another way around?"

The man shook his head. "Sorry, kid. You'll have to go through the mountain instead."

Without saying anything else, the man turned around and marched off.

Edward grumbled something inappropriate before turning off to the left and walking down the road. After some more walking, he found the opening to Mount Moon, and went inside. Darkness soon surrounded him, and he was scared. He hoped that he wouldn't get lost again.


	5. Into Mount Moon

Mount Moon was big. The inside was vastly large, as if some giant Pokémon had hollowed out the rocks to make more room for the creatures living within. Rare Pokémon were said to be hidden among the rocks, too swift to be caught by wandering trainers searching for the mountain's exit. Indeed, the cave was home to many rare and unique creatures. Paras, for example, were more common in the dark cave than any forest in Kanto. But even rarer than the Pokémon themselves were the ancient skeletons they left behind.

Pewter's Fossil Museum paid a decent price for such finds, and the Pokémon Lab on Cinnabar Island paid even more to make up for the disadvantage of location. The scientists there examined the fossilized bones, and some were even reanimated into actual Pokémon. Most of the researchers theorized that many years ago, rock type Pokémon dominated the world, explaining why all discovered fossils were of rock types. Others argued that the fossils of Pokémon who weren't of the rock variety simply didn't last long, and perished.

No fossil claims had been made in two years.

Edward stumbled through the mountain, almost tripping over a rock as he turned a corner. For almost half of an hour, he had been trekking through the mountain's interior, and was already asking himself if this journey was worth the trouble of having to walk across the countryside.

'_I hope I find my way out of here,' _Edward told himself. _'Otherwise the Zubat are probably going to eat me.'_

He went on anyway. While he walked, he entertained the thought of catching another Pokémon; he would need one if he was going to battle his mother. But none of the creatures he had seen so far interested him. Geodude, Mankey, Caterpie, Weedle, Pidgey… he didn't like any of them. And Zubat wasn't much better.

Wasn't there anything that he wanted? Edward hadn't seen many Pokémon that he would have liked as another partner, not even in his mother's Gym. However, there were some creatures he liked, and would like to try and catch. Exeggutor, Hypno, Ninetails, Persian, Porygon… those Pokémon were great. He even liked some that weren't from Kanto, although he didn't know their names.

But where was he supposed to find them?

'_Not here, that's for sure,' _he answered grimly as he marched through the cave.

It was damp and cold, and Edward found himself shivering, and kept wrapping his jacket closer around himself. He had to rub his hands together to keep them from going numb. After tripping over a rock, and landing in the dirt in a distinguished manner, he retrieved his flashlight from his backpack. Eventually, he brought out Abra, who rested peacefully on his shoulders as they trailed through the rocky corridors.

The two continued on until Edward's legs began to ache, and sat down for a rest. With a sigh of exhaustion, the young psychic sat down on a small rock next to the wall, unaware that it was actually a Pokémon.

'_It's going to take forever to get out of here. Not that this place is scary or anything…'_

The Geodude on which he sat knocked him over and rolled off, disappearing into the darkness. Edward wiped a smudge of dirt from his face.

'_Not scary. Just annoying.' _

Abra yawned and stretched, seeming to have not noticed the abrupt appearance of the rock Pokémon. As he reached into Edward's backpack for some food, he suddenly froze. His ear twitched, indicating that he had heard something.

A quiet, almost inaudible voice whispered, "Are you... lost?"

The sound was so quiet that Edward questioned if he had imagined it. The trainer turned around and pointed his flashlight toward the noise, expecting no one to be there. Instead, he saw a girl about his age, maybe a little older, holding a pokéball in her left hand. Her skin was deathly pale, and dark purple hair fell flatly from her head, just long enough to touch her shoulders. She wore a black coat so with long sleeves, and dark jeans.

And she was smiling cleverly.

"No," Edward rudely replied. "Why? Are _you_ lost?"

The girl shifted her head to the side innocently. "No. I know where I'm going." Her voice was tactfully controlled and disturbingly silent, as if she didn't want to be heard.

Edward didn't like it.

"Yeah? Well, whatever," the psychic said, crossing his arms defiantly. "I'm not lost."

It wasn't a lie. After all, he wasn't lost yet.

"Okay," the girl replied indifferently.

Edward said nothing, making it clear to the other child that he didn't want to be friends. _'Who is this girl? And why's she so creepy anyway?'_

The girl's uninterested expression faded for an instant, and her dark eyes lit up at the sight of Abra.

"So... you're a trainer," the girl surmised. "I wouldn't have guessed. Perhaps you would be willing to engage in a battle?"

Edward ignored the mild insult and weighed his options.

The request for a battle was abrupt, and random, but not entirely uncommon. Trainers were always eager for battle, especially on long winding roads where battle-eager people would wait for a weary traveler, expecting to get the jump on them. This was hardly any different.

Edward tended to be indecisive, and battle's verdict would have consequences. If, for some strange reason, Abra lost, he would have to walk all the way back to Pewter in order to heal him. Besides, the manner in which this girl suggested a battle was... unnerving.

But then again, having just started his journey, it wasn't exactly a good time to wave a white flag.

"Fine. Let's battle," Edward agreed, already planning on cheating.

_'We'll see who's going to win when I read your mind, you weirdo.'_

But upon attempting to read his opponent's mind, the thoughts seemed clouded, and he couldn't make them out. He could make out faint whispers, and short phrases that didn't make sense.

_'Third, the black red... dark. And G...'_

It must have been some kind of coding system, or coherent sentences that had been scrambled so others wouldn't understand. No ordinary person could do that.

Was she psychic too?

"Very well," the girl said, rolling up her lengthy sleeves before throwing the pokéball onto the ground.

Slowly, purple gas curled upward from the ground, forming in a small spire. As the dark violet fluid intermingled with itself, dark spots began to pulse and bulge from within the thick vapor. Finally, the dense gas accumulated into a small cloud, and a pitch-black sphere rested in the center. Two pale white eyes blinked at Edward, and a toothy smile spread across the creature's black, circular body.

Edward took a step backward, then inwardly cursed at himself for showing fear.

Why was he being so stupid?

The girl's voice was suddenly louder, and even a little vile as she said, "What's the matter? Never seen a Gastly before?"

_'Great. Now I've run into a ghost-trainer with mood swings. Why does this adventure have to keep getting worse?'_

Abra valiantly teleported in front of the Gastly, and waited for his trainer's command.

Collecting himself, Edward pointed to the ghost Pokémon and said to Abra, "Okay, Abra. Use... er... Forget it! Just attack already!"

"Gastly, lick its forehead."

Edwards shoulder's visibly slumped upon hearing his opponent's orders to her Pokémon.

"What? _Lick_ him? You must be making fun of me."

"Not quite." Her voice was almost silent once more.

Abra quickly teleported in a small circle before closing in on his opponent, and striking with a psychic attack. However, the Gastly sunk to the floor and dodged, then hastily made a mad dash at its opponent. But before Abra could react, the Gastly rolled its long, red tongue over his face.

The psychic Pokémon made a few uncertain steps backward, as if unsure how to react.

"Abra, don't just take that! Hit it again!" Edward ordered.

Abra began shivering as the Gastly loomed closer. He suddenly didn't seem to have the nerve to teleport.

"Quick, do something already!" the psychic pressured again.

"He can't."

Edward looked at his opponent, who stared at him with a cold expression.

"What do you mean he can't?" he demanded.

"Gastly's lick paralyzes opponents. You see, contact with his tongue brings a certain... chill about them. It has a tendency to scare Pokémon, but only the weak ones."

"_Weak?_"

"Just finish it, Gastly."

The ghost Pokémon started pulsating, like a heart. With every jerky throb, it expanded, growing larger. Abra remained standing, trembling as the ghost Pokémon loomed over him until Edward suddenly blurted, "No! Stop, you win!"

With a wicked smile, the Gastly froze. Edward blinked, and the Pokémon was back to its normal size.

The growth had been an illusion.

Returning her Pokémon to the capsule, the girl looked directly at Edward, who was kneeling down in front of Abra, making sure he wasn't hurt. Her eyes scanned his expression, and body language, as if appraising him.

She sounded hurt as she said, "I thought you would be better. I was... mistaken."

Edward said nothing. Instead, he looked into the eyes of his partner, who had cold beads of sweat dripping from his forehead.

Unmoved, the girl turned around, and walked away.

"What's your name?" someone asked, and Edward was momentarily surprised to find that it had been himself.

She stopped. "I am called Jas."

He didn't looked up to watch Jas go, but he could hear her footsteps fade as she became more distant.

Then, there was silence.

Using one of his spare shirts, Edward wiped some of the sweat from Abra's forehead. The shaking wasn't as bad as before, but upon feeling his forehead Edward noticed that the Pokémon was still cold. At first, Abra refused to eat the granola bar that he was offered, but after some coaxing, he timidly nibbled on it.

"I-I'm... sorry, I guess." Edward had never felt so awkward talking to his own Pokémon before, but now a heavy silence pressured the conversation. "I shouldn't... I should have thought about it first. We were... I was only thinking about me, and..."

Suddenly, Edward was embraced with a hug from his Pokémon, who seemed to understand his concerns, and appreciate them.

No words could have made up for the assurance his Pokémon had just offered.

For a moment, they sat in a silent, brotherly embrace. The pressure of the journey, his mother's expectations, and their own doubts were suddenly forgotten.

Once the comforting quiet ended, it was time to move again.

"Come on, let's go," Edward said, picking up Abra and placing him on his shoulders.

The march continued as Edward wound his way through the caverns, and was grateful to find that he was no longer bothered by the cold.

Many Pokémon seemed to be awake as they traveled deeper into the cave, and Edward guessed that this had something to do with the rock slide earlier. They encountered several Zubat, and the occasional Geodude, which were easier to defeat than Edward had expected. Once, he thought that he saw a flash of pink vanish around a corner. At first, he had hoped that it had been a rare Pokémon, but he hadn't seen anything since then. Besides, why would a Pokémon living in a cave be pink?

At one point, the path started to slant upwards, and a small amount of light lingered in the caverns. There had to be an exit nearby.

_Maybe this journey isn't so hopeless after all,_ Edward optimistically thought, seeing light from the outside in an exit up ahead.

Abra poked at Edward vigorously.

"Abra, stop it," Edward warned, and continued to march forward. Instead, the Pokémon continued poking, almost franticly.

"I told you to stop. There's nothing-"

"There you are."

Edward looked behind him to see a familiar man dressed in the Team Rocket uniform. Abra teleported to the ground in a battle stance.

"Not you again," Edward complained, backing away toward the exit, only to bump into another grunt.

Reeling around, Edward tried to run, only to be grabbed by the first grunt. Attempting to defend his partner, Abra quickly prepared a psychic attack at the man who held Edward. Suddenly, a bright flash of light struck Abra, and he tumbled to the ground.

"Abra!"

"Nice shockwave, Electrode. But do it faster next time," the second grunt remarked with a smirk.

A large spherical Pokémon rolled into view from behind some rocks. Its large eyes were narrowed in a sort of glare as it looked at Edward. Fluorescent yellow electricity sparked malignantly from its body.

And it was smiling.

"Okay," Edward gasped breathlessly, staring at Abra who lay motionless on the ground just three feet away. "What do you want?"

The two grunts grinned darkly.

"I'll make this simple, just so that we don't waste any of your time. Where's your mother?"

Edward's legs suddenly felt weak. "What?" he gulped.

The uniformed grunt snapped his fingers. The Electrode sent a current of energy at the young psychic's feet. Edward flinched.

The grunt glared intensely at him, and was no longer smiling. "I'm not going to say it again. Now where's your mother, kid?"

Edward choked out, "I... I-I don't... she's-"

"You punks had better let the kid go."

The three of them looked to the exit to see the silhouette of a woman. Her voice was very authoritative, as if indicating that every spoken word was a direct command. She stood in front of the doorway, hands to her waist, looking down on them while in a heroic stance. Edward could barely make out short curls of light brown hair, and hiking shorts.

Who was this person?

"We don't answer to you," the first grunt spat, holding Edward tighter, in case he tried to escape.

"Electrode," the second man said, "deal with this interloper."

The electric Pokémon sparked with energy as it prepared an attack.

After hurling two Pokéballs into the air, the woman pointed and ordered, "Gyrados, Starmie, get them!"

Edward was quickly let go of, and fell to the ground. When he lifted his chin up, he saw a dark, snake-like beast staring down at him. It was the size of an Onix, with sharp teeth, and intense, red eyes. Panicking, he scampered towards Abra, picked up his partner, and fled. As he ran to the exit, his Pokémon held gingerly in his arms, he could make out the last pieces of conversation from the battle.

"Starmie, water pulse. Follow it up with hyper beam, Gyrados!"

"Not again. Electrode use explosion, now!"

"Golbat, retreat!"

A large explosion shook the cave. Thick plumes of smoke rose from where the Electrode had fainted, and the sound of two pairs of legs running echoed through the cavern. The cave rumbled, and shook violently. Glancing dazedly up at the ceiling, Edward saw rocks falling from above.

"Get out of the way, kid! Run!"

Edward fell to the ground.


	6. Welcome to Cerulean City

The sky was a pleasant blue color over Cerulean City. Placid white clouds floated loftily above, so simple and idyllic that they looked as though they had come straight out of a children's book. Cheery citizens crossed the streets, holding shopping bags or ice-cream in their hands. It was the first Sunday of Cerulean's Safe Living Environments campaign, and the local Pokémart had lowered its prices for the day, in agreement with the city commission.

A research study in Vermillion City had noticed a spike in the number of poison types, and the city council was trying to rid the citizens of a Grimer infestation. Upon hearing that water habitat in the area were being threatened, Cerulean decided to focus their efforts and raise awareness in Kanto. A third of the money spent at Pokémarts was being donated to Cerulean's "Clean-Up Act", which was organized by the local Gym Leader. The money allowed the city to build small wading pools for water Pokémon to live in. People were allowed to swim in the pools with the creatures, but catching them was not allowed because they belonged to the city.

She splashed him in the face with this water.

Edward woke up in a rather startled manner, blinking alertly. He touched his face, as if instinctually wondering if it was still there.

"Hey. You're awake," the woman observed, kneeling down to his level.

Edward realized that he was leaning against the edge of a pool. He would have said something in response, but he couldn't find the right words.

The woman was young, probably in her early twenties, with light orange hair, not brown as he had first thought. She was wearing a white t-shirt and khaki hiking shorts, with boots to match. She was smiling in a friendly way, as if to assure him that he was safe now.

"W-where's my... Abra," Edward managed to say, finding no other words.

"Nurse Joy's taking a look at him," the woman assured him. "You're in Cerulean, by the way. My name's Misty."

Edward knew that she would start asking questions, and he didn't feel like he was ready to answer them. He wanted to know that his Pokémon was alright.

But he was still curious. "How did you find me?" he asked.

"I was going for a hike when I heard voices inside the mountain exit. I thought that was strange, considering that people only use the pass these days," Misty explained.

"The pass was out," Edward gulped, suddenly understanding the connection. "A rock slide or something. I think those guys did it."

Misty looked at him curiously. "What did they want from you?"

"Money," Edward automatically answered. Misty didn't seem to believe him, so he quickly continued the conversation. "So, you're a hiker?"

"I'm the Gym Leader."

"Oh." He suddenly felt stupid.

"What's your name?"

"Edward."

"Do you live in Pewter, Edward?"

"Um... actually, I'm traveling."

"Pokémon journey?" Misty asked nonchalantly, as if she had asked the question many times before.

"Yeah..." Edward said, sensing her weariness. "But I have a badge!" he declared as he reached into his pocket and removed the Boulder Badge. It wasn't quite as shiny as when it has first been given to him, but he was still proud to have it. Even if the battle itself hadn't been glorious.

Misty gave a small smile, and he heard her think:

_'That Brock... he must have used his Sandshrew or something.'_

Edward had to keep himself from smiling.

"Can I see my Abra?" he asked.

"Sure, if you feel well enough. Come on," Misty invited as she helped him up.

Observing his surroundings, Edward noticed the shallow pool behind him. Lilly pads spread across the water, gently floating on the clear surface. Small water Pokémon like Horsea and Goldeen paddled idly at the top of the pond. A few Shelder were at the bottom, some closed shut while the others blinked up at the children gathered at the water's edge.

Edward watched a Goldeen as it swam past, careful to watch its horn. Misty seemed to notice how cautious he was.

She beckoned the fish by simply touching the water lightly with her hand. "It's okay to touch them," Misty explained as she stroked the fish, who had immediately come to her. "These Pokémon are domesticated. They're trained to be around people."

Looking into the pool, Edward saw a Staru clasping the edge of the pool, its red core shining magnificently from the brilliant sunlight.

"Can I touch it?" he asked, reluctantly holding out his hand.

"Sure. It won't mind."

Reaching his arm out, Edward delicately stroked the one of Pokémon's appendages. Suddenly, it jerked violently, and the psychic pulled his hand back. The Staru erupted from the water, and rapidly spun away like a Frisbee before circling back around.

"Misty, what's it-"

"Duck!"

In a blur of motion, the Staru slammed itself into Edward's stomach, almost knocking him over from the force of the blow. It flew away, then spun around once more, just like a boomerang. Edward held his abdominal area in pain, glancing upward to see the starfish Pokémon circling around to strike again.

"C'mon, Staru!" Misty shouted, hurling a bicolor capsule at the creature.

The Staru quickly turned a transparent red, and was then absorbed into the ball. The capsule fell to the ground, and rolled for a few seconds before emitting a satisfying click. Edward had seen very few captures before, but that was very impressive. There was a commanding, expert motion in which Misty cast the device, and confidence in her eyes as she had waited for the results.

Edward was awed.

Misty picked up the ball, then scratched the back of her head and said, "I dunno what I should do with this one. I can't put the troublemakers back."

She held the capsule out. "You want it?"

Taken by surprise, Edward gaped for a moment before accepting the pokéball. He was suddenly elated, in spite of the pain the creature had inflicted on him. He had another Pokémon.

Nevertheless, he had his doubts.

"Are you sure?" he skeptically asked, feeling the bruise on his stomach. It still hurt.

"Sure. I already have a bunch of water types. Besides, I have Starmie."

"Starmie?"

Misty stared at him for a brief moment, but quickly collected herself and said, "You know... it's what Staru evolves into."

"Oh."

The situation was starting to become awkward, so he quickly thought of something to say. "Where did you put my backpack?"

"It's at the Pokémon Center," Misty said as she started walking, motioning for him to follow. "By the way, I've contacted Pewter's police force, and they're going to start a search. They were already suspicious of the area, considering the criminal activity nearby. That, and no one has claimed a fossil in a couple of years now."

"Why is that important?" Edward curiously inquired.

"I'm guessing that those guys have been prowling around for fossils, then selling them somewhere. There are probably more of them."

"So... they're organized?"

Misty shrugged. "Could be. We don't know enough to come to a conclusion. Oh, and you got a call. It's at the PC."

Edward hoped that it was his mother calling. It would be nice to be reassured that nothing had gone wrong while he was away.

He suddenly felt guilty about lying to Misty.

As soon as they were inside, Misty had to leave, saying that she had spent too much time away from her Gym, and needed to check on a few students. Turning to the counter, Edward retrieved Abra's pokéball from Nurse Joy, who insisted that he let him sleep for a few hours before letting him out. Grabbing his backpack from a nearby bench, Edward walked over to the public computer in the corner. He clipped the capsule of his new Pokémon to his belt.

Edward looked at it grimly.

_'I didn't even catch it myself.'_

Casting the thought aside, he accessed the computer and checked the contact list. Whoever had called him had been waiting for over fifteen minutes.

Turning the communication on, Edward was surprised to see Pewter's Gym Leader, Brock, on the screen. The Gym's arena was in the background, where his Onix was fighting something and crashing around. The psychic was glad Brock had been so merciful during their battle.

"Edward, right?" Brock asked, his eyes as firmly shut as always.

"Yeah, that's me. What is it?"

The rock trainer crossed his arms, which Edward took as an indication that he wanted to talk about an important matter. "The police and I are going to check out the pass and see if we can catch some Team Rocket Resurgence organizers."

"Team Rocket Resurgence?"

"That's what the police are calling it. I've been informed that they attacked you. What did they want?"

_'Misty just asked me that,' _Edward thought. _'Why do these guys want to know?'_

Brock leaned in closer to the screen once he noticed that Edward was about to speak. These Gym Leaders wanted something from him.

_'I'm not so sure I want to tell these guys. Why do they want to know anyway? Maybe I can lie.'_

"They, um... wanted my Pokémon."

Brock's face revealed nothing of what he was thinking. Edward wished that he could read his mind, but that was impossible over the computer.

"Okay. They tried to take your Pokémon." The Onix hurled some rocks at its foe in the background as Brock spoke. "Anything else?"

The psychic shook his head.

Brock paused and asked, "Did they talk to you at all? Can you remember anything those guys said?"

"Erm... didn't say much. He just threatened me with his Electrode."

Brock had an impressive poker-face, and his voice revealed none of his intentions as he said, "Alright. I might have to call back later, for investigative purposes."

Edward raised one of his eyebrows. "Isn't that Officer Jenny's job?"

The Gym Leader was momentarily stumped. "No. Well... I mean, yes. I'm just doing it for her." Brock suddenly seemed lost in his thoughts, obviously thinking about the police woman.

Edward hung up.

Walking outside, he decided to get some lunch, considering he hadn't eaten anything for several hours. He ordered a sandwich from a small deli, and found a bench near one of the wading pools. Edward sat down and ate his sandwich as the events of the day ran through his mind.

First, some wannabe Team Rocket grunts had blocked the pass, forcing him to go through the mountain. Second, he met a strange girl with a Gastly, whom he hoped he would not have the displeasure of meeting again. Third, the same Rocket members cornered him at the mountain's exit, and demanded that he tell them the location of his mother.

'_They must know who I am, otherwise they wouldn't have asked that.'_

Edward found the possibility that those men knew him to be chilling. Did they want to kidnap him and demand a ransom? Would they try to convert him to their cause?

And why would they want to know where his mother was? She was in Saffron; even they should have known that. She was at the gym… wasn't she?

'_I need to call mom,' _Edward decided after finishing his lunch. _'That way I won't need to worry about her. She's probably fine, but still...'_

Edward went back inside the Pokémon Center, only to find that another trainer was already using the PC. While tapping his foot impatiently, Edward surveyed the trainer.

He was Edward's height, and about the same age too. The other child was slightly overweight, and breathed heavily as he read an e-mail, his eyes scanning the page from behind thick glasses. His hair was short and annoying tidy, obviously combed with extreme care. He had a large orange backpack which looked rather heavy. A strange odor permeated from the air around him.

"Hey," Edward sharply interjected. "You're in my way."

Although the comment was rather rude, the other trainer didn't seem to mind as he turned around and gave a small smile.

"Oh, sorry," the other boy said kindly. "Misty said you might need to use the computer, but I thought you were finished. I apologize"

He held his hand out, an invitation to shake on it and forget it. Edward was about to say something rude, but suddenly a large, green caterpillar crawled from behind Adam's shoulder.

With a small cry, Edward jumped backwards in fear.

"What's wrong?" the boy asked, oblivious to the psychic's dilemma.

"B-b-b-bug!" replied Edward, pointing a shaking hand at the Pokémon.

The boy glanced at his shoulder. "You mean Caterpie?" he asked, picking him up in one hand and petting it with the other. "I'm sorry. I didn't know you were afraid of bug types."

"I'm not afraid!" Edward said defensively. "He just... startled me."

"It's okay, I understand. Misty says that too sometimes."

The boy adjusted his glasses, turned back to the computer, and logged off.

"Well, see you later," he said. "I'm headed up to Cerulean Cape to see Bill's Pokémon database."

Despite his concerns, Edward couldn't help but show slight curiosity. "A Pokémon database?"

"Yeah. A Pokémon expert named Bill has a huge research database. My friend told me that it even has Pokémon from other regions in it."

Edward couldn't help but be impressed. "Wow. Really?"

The boy nodded and smiled gleefully, unable to suppress his excitement. "I want to collect all kinds of Pokémon, and seeing Bill's database just might inspire me to reach my goal. What about you?"

"Oh. Um…" The psychic hadn't been prepared to talk about himself, and became somewhat nervous. "…I'm just a trainer. You know, Pokémon journey and all that."

"In that case, you should come with me to the cape," the boy suggested. "I'm sure we could both gain something from such a venture."

Edward was surprised by the offer, but tried not to show it. The other child was being particularly kind, and Edward hadn't expected the invitation. He was also surprised to find how much the idea appealed to him.

Seeing a database on Pokémon might help him learn how to catch others, and maybe decide what he wanted as a future team. He would need a powerful lineup if he was going to beat his mother in a Pokémon battle. But first, he needed to check to make sure she was okay.

"Okay, sure," Edward agreed. "Just let me use the computer for a second."

With a nod, the boy said, "Alright. I'll be outside."

As he left, Edward nervously watched Adam's Caterpie, which had suddenly reappeared on its trainer's shoulder. It was staring at him innocently.

With a slight shudder, Edward turned to the PC and logged on.

Quickly, he accessed the contact system and called the Saffron City Gym's personal computer. Like the one in Pewter's Gym, it was situated nearby the arena, where someone was likely to access it. Edward waited for his mother to appear on the screen to assure him that she was perfectly fine and to nag him for not calling earlier.

It wasn't his mother who answered.

"What is it?" demanded Anthony, a member of the gym who was a decent telepath and psychic.

He was a few years older than Edward, and even more impolite. Anthony raised two Drowzee, who he often used in double-battles with a powerful hypnosis and dream-eater combination. The last time Edward had seen him, Anthony had spent countless hours sharpening their sleep-inducing abilities through the use of meditation. Edward could easily recall bossing him around a few times, and even forcing him to have his Drowzee to fight each other.

Good times.

"Where's Sabrina?" Edward sharply replied. He heard Anthony mutter, "Oh, it's _him_."

"Your mother isn't here right now," Anthony explained slowly, as if he thought Edward wouldn't understand him if he talked at a normal pace.

"Where is she? Is she okay?"

"Of course she's okay," Anthony retorted in irritancy. "What, do you think she's dead?"

Edward ignored the comment and said, "Is she in the gym? I need to talk to her."

"I told you, she isn't here right now," Anthony insisted with a annoyed frown. "Call back later."

"Wait, Anthony! She-"

Anthony hung up. Edward tried calling again, but no one picked up. Instead, he hurriedly wrote an e-mail.

_Mom,_

_I made it to Cerulean City through Mount Moon. Some weird guys wearing Team Rocket uniforms were blocking the pass. It's kind of a long story. Anyway, I won the Boulder Badge and caught a Staru. But I really want to know what's going on in Saffron. Can you e-mail me back? _

_-Edward_

Before he sent the message, he quickly read it over. It made him sound like a scared and confused kid, but he didn't have time to change it. He sent it and met with the other boy outside.

"Ready to go?" the boy asked, correcting the location of his glasses. Caterpie was no longer on his shoulder, which relieved Edward.

"Yeah," Edward said, and began walking. "I'm kind of interested in this database. How did you find out about it?"

They passed by the ponds where Misty had caught his Staru.

"One of my friends has an older brother who is a great Pokémon trainer," explained the boy. "I told him about my goal of being a Pokémon collector, and he told me about Bill."

"So, who is Bill anyway?"

"He's some kind of Pokémon genius. Some people call him a Pokémaniac, but I assume they're just jealous. So what interests you most about the database anyway?"

"Well, I want to know what Pokémon are out there to catch. I'm kind of indecisive."

"I know what you mean. I can be like that too sometimes. By the way, I don't believe that we were properly introduced. What's your name?"

"It's Edward."

"Nice to meet you." He adjusted his glasses again and grinned. "I'm Adam, the Pokémon Collector."


End file.
